Rio Palito

Kingdom of Rio Palito
Flag
Capital	San Beausoleil
Official languages	English, Spanish
Recognised national languages	Portuguese, French
Demonym(s)	Rio Palitan
Government	Unitary parliamentary constitutional monarchy
• Monarch	Maurice Bousieras
• Minister of State	Émile Flach
Establishment
• Quetanan Colonization	1315
• Skithan Occupation	1698
• Independence	August 3rd, 1822
Population
• Estimate	13,600,000
HDI (2016)	0.67 medium
Currency	Zamastan ziapet/dollar (ZPT)
Date format	mm-dd-yyyy
Driving side	right
Calling code	+78-87
Internet TLD	.ripa

The Kingdom of Rio Palito, also known as Rio Palitos, is a small principality in the Coalition of Crown Albatross governed under a form of constitutional monarchy on the coast of Euronia, bordering Zamastan to the east and south, Ruskayn's mainland dependency to the west, and the Olympic Ocean to the north. Rio Palito's mild climate, scenery, and gambling facilities have contributed to the principality's status as a tourist destination and recreation center for the rich. In more recent years, Rio Palito has become a major banking center and has sought to diversify its economy into the services sector and small, high-value-added, non-polluting industries. The state has no income tax, low business taxes, and is well known for being a tax haven. It is also the host of the annual street circuit motor race Rio Palito Grand Prix, one of the original Grands Prix of Crown Formula Racing. The capital of San Beausoleil is one of the most expensive cities on Iearth to reside in, often dubbed "Billionare's Beach" due to its location on the shore of the Olympic Ocean.

Etymology

Rio Palito gets its name from the Quetanan words for "river of sticks"; 'Rio' meaning 'river' and 'Palito' meaning 'little stick'. The historical explanation is that an 12th-century Quetana colonial settlement along a riverbank near modern-day San Beausoleil was devestated by a flood which breached the shores of the river and washed the settlement and forested areas away, creating a path of destruction and water covered on the surface by wooden debris from destroyed trees and structures.

History

Quetanan Colonization

Following a grant from King Maruian II in 1291, Rio Palito was officially founded in 1315 as a colony of Quetana following its conquest. Rio Palito was first ruled by a member of the Quetanan Royal House of Bousieras in 1312, when Francesco Bousieras, known as "Il Malizia" (translated from Quetanan either as "The Malicious One" or "The Cunning One"), and his men captured the fortress protecting the Rock of Rio Palito. The Bousieras family has been either the instated or de-facto ruler of Rio Palito since 1312, making it one of the longest Royal dynasties on Iearth (more than 700 years).

Skith Empire

In 1698, the Empire of Skith claimed control over Rio Palito following their conquest and annexation of Quetana in 1690. Under the Imperial control, their population exploded from less than 100,000 in 1650 to over 3 million in 1800. San Beausoleil became one of the Olympic Ocean's most lucrative shipping ports and one of the busiest trading stops in the region, serving colonial ships from other colonies in Zamastan like Tofino, Arinals, and White Rock, as well as cities farther northeast like Loromano and Zeramon in Gladysynthia.

Independence

Rio Palito gained independence from Skith on August 3rd, 1822 following the Empire's decision to withdrawl from much of their colonial territory in Euronia, mostly as a result of the economic downturn caused by their defeat in the Zamastan War of Independence nearly 18 years earlier. Zamastan and Rio Palito signed a pact in 1831 that gave economic stimulus deals between the two nations, one of the first free-trade deals in the world.

Modern history

Following the Great Cardoza War, Ruskaynian mercenaries used Rio Palito as a staging base to reinforce Zamastanian forces. A major economic crash and a coup d'etat in 1899 resulted in King Emilio Bousieras and his government to request provisional status from Zamastan, and from 1900 to 1940, the Zamastanian Armed Forces occupied the country to provide security, economic stimulus, and political stability.

During the World War, Rio Palito provided resupplies and relief missions for Allied Forces. In 1975, Rio Palito was one of the 11 original founding members of the Coalition of Crown Albatross. Rio Palito forces participated in their first foreign conflict in 1999 with the Second War in Vulkaria. In 2019, it was the mediating force between East Chanchajilla and West Chanchajilla in the aftermath of the South Turania Offensive.